Here are all the designer terms you need to know, as well as quite a few most designers would love to never hear again.

Joining the ranks of any profession is the same as committing yourself to learning an entirely new language, most of which is frankly gibberish. (TPS reports, anyone?) Design is no exception. So we asked some of our friends at design firms–including Pentagram, Ammunition, Huge, Ziba, Pensole, Google Ventures, Sagmeister & Walsh, and more–to define their favorite examples of design slang and jargon. The answers we received range from serious to tongue-in-cheek, but if you’ve ever been puzzled by a designer telling you he needed to “ideate a more approachable FTUX” or “add more value to that horsey megamenu,” this resource should help you translate.

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We’ve updated the post below to contain a few more definitions, and we will continue to update this story with new definitions supplied by our readers: just leave a comment or Tweet at @FastCoDesign with the hashtag #DesignJargon to get your entry added. Let us know if we missed anything!

A bunch of numptiesn. A group of idiots. Can also be used to refer to placeholder elements on a page that have zero UX thinking behind them. (Source: Kate Proulx, Huge)

A magnet that acquires meaningn. A design that gets recognized over times, and becomes associated with people’s experiences. For example, your first MP3 player. (Source: Team, Ammunition Group)

Above the foldadj. “This term is about whatever content can be seen on a web page before the user starts to scroll. It originates from the print industry, where above the fold meant the top half of a front page on a folded newspaper. This term is disliked by many designers I know (myself included) because we know that although first impressions are very important, users will inevitably scroll down a page to see the remainder of the content. Also, the “fold” in digital is different depending on what device the user is on, so designing with a specific size in mind will actually do more harm than good.” (Source: Natalie Be’er, Huge)

Clean adj. Example: I want a design that looks clean. Undefinable. No one exactly knows what this means. (Source: Mark Kawano, Storehouse); Smooth and uninterrupted design. The visible elements are functional, not embellished. Easy on the eyes. (Source: @SoftGoodsJess on Twitter)

Create an experiencev. Design a banner ad you can click on. (Source: @Maitexf on Twitter

Collaboration n. A project combining the inputs of multiple people. Frequently used in place of the traditional “client/consultant” or “employee/employer” title. Collaborator is seen as a more valuable relationship working as peers. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Collaborativeadj. Working with your partners, instead of just telling them what to do. (Source: Deroy Peraza, Hyperakt)

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Collaborative processn. Client would like to make the decision. (Source: Team, Ammunition Group)

Commercialadj. Something that works now, rather than when the product will actually come to market (Source: D’Wayne Edwards, Pensole)

Contemporaryadj. A solution that is fresh and appropriate to the current marketplace. A classy, slightly longer-term version of trendy. The opposite of retro. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Contentn. What used to be called “writing.” (Source: Carl Alviani, Ziba)

Contrastn. As in “needs more contrast.” Make the big things bigger, the dark things darker, and the colorful things more colorful. But don’t change it! (Source: 12stringmonkey)

Cooladj. An adjective used to describe any color associated with blue. (Source: Katie Henderson, Huge)

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Craftn. Using EPS and TIFF files in a page layout instead of just chucking random file formats into it.

Design thinkingn. Just a fancier word for brainstorming. See also: ideating. (Source: Mark Kawano, Storehouse); Gluing innovation and collaboration together with some common sense and some flash cards. (Source: Deroy Peraza, Hyperakt)

Disruptive adj. A design that both changes the market and simultaneously references what currently exists. No one likes it. (Source: D’Wayne Edwards, Pensole); Break some rules until we realize we can’t really break any rules. (Source: Paul O’Connor, Ziba)

Document the shit out of itidiom. Take pictures from a million angles and post-process the images to make it look 5 times cooler than it actually is. (Source: Vidhyamohankumar, comments)

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Do whatever you wantidiom Translation: I don’t have time and I don’t know what I want. You work the whole thing up and I’ll tell you what I don’t like later. Which will be everything. (Source: Monette B. Velasco, comments)

Experiencen. The gestalt of a complete solution that considers the solution of a core product as well as all the surrounding context like packaging, messaging, and customer journey. Most designers see themselves as responsible for a consistent positive experience with a product or brand rather than resolving just the core product. Also called UX. Few designers would not see “experience” as their expertise. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Exploring notions of typographic instabilityv. “I’m putting the outlines of several different typefaces on top of each other.” (Source: Stefan Sagmeister, Sagmeister & Walsh)

Frankensteiningv. (1) The combination of the best parts of multiple independent concepts into a single uber-concept. Beware this siren song. The sum is rarely greater than the parts. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Give them a fingeridiom. Intentionally placing a glaring mistake (e.g., typo in headline) so the client points their finger at that mistake, rather than pointing their finger at something more fundamental. (Source: Joel Emmett, comments)

Greekn. Copy that is meant as a placeholder, and represents approximately one third of what marketing and legal will actually try to fit in that space. (Source: Martin Massinger, comments)

Hack v. A quick and dirty approach to problem-solving. To hack is to be a free-thinker and unafraid to break rules in search of the right answer. The cool new version of prototyping is hacking. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Honking in the tunnelidiom. The escalation that happens once more than one area of a design needs emphasis. This can happen with weight (many pieces of text becoming bold), size (everything is large), and color (everything becomes a different color). (Source: Julie Meridian, comments)

In progressidiom. “This means that we either don’t like a design yet, or there are things wrong with it we haven’t figured out yet.” (Source: Team, Ammunition Group); “We have nothing to show you, because we haven’t started working on your project yet.” (Source: Charles Samuels, comments)

In real timeidiom. A solution that is developed on the fly without prior planning. This has a more positive connotation than saying “unprepared.” (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Intuitiveadj. The “ideal” product interaction. Based on the assumption that there are built in instincts in all human beings that provide the keys to a product experience that is easy and enjoyable. Examples of intuitive interactions are often in fact just familiar. What may be intuitive to one person (based on his/her experience) may be counter-intuitive to another person. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Megamenun. A dropdown menu with a ton of content. (Source: Deroy Peraza, Hyperakt)

Merch togetherv. Make it all the same color. (Source: D’Wayne Edwards, Pensole)

MLGn Acronym for “Make it look good.” Chiefly used in design adaptation, the practice of ignoring established brand guidelines in the interest of aesthetics. See also: “Make Logo Bigger” (Source: Jim Teal, comments)

Rub a lampn. A slightly tactful response to a completely unnecessary, unwieldy, and unrealistic request; usually by someone with the least amount of actual design knowledge in the room. (Source: Phil Balsman, comments)

Take a meetingadj. Gather to listen to one or two people opine without providing any actual fresh direction. (Source: Deborah Budd in the comments)

Tastyadj. A term meaning ‘attractive design’ driven into the ground by yuppies in the late 70’s and early 80’s. (Source: Packgraphics in the comments)

Technical debtn. “I hacked this together to hit the deadline, and now we have to rebuilt it so it doesn’t explode.” (Source: mrBallistic on Twitter)

Thinking outside of the boxv. What you did last year. (Source: Stefan Sagmeister, Sagmeister & Walsh)

Third read n. A solution that has been considered to a very high level of detail. The designer has considered elements that won’t be appreciated by the user until they look at the product for the third time. Interest in this level of solution is seen as a sign of craftsmanship. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

TMn.The process of trademarking a new slogan, name, or other communication to express a new approach to design-based problem solving. This cliché captures the design industry’s thirst for invented words that describe innovative processes. The most desirable trademarked terms are mashups of two established concepts (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

Trendyadj. Typically, a dirty word in the design world, referring to a solution that appeals to the short-lasting whims of society. The opposite of timeless. See contemporary. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)

User advocaten. Most designers seek to represent the needs of a potential customer and provide a counterpoint to the myopic point of view that is common within large companies. Related to experience design. (Source: Dana Krieger, Minus-8)